On October 19, at a celebration mass in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Vác, Dr. Lajos Varga, vice bishop of Vác, gave thanks for his 50-year priestly jubilee. Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Apostolic Nuncio Michael W. Banach, Archbishop Dr. Csaba Ternyák of Eger, Metropolitan of the Diocese, Bishop Marton Zsolt of Váci, Bishop retired. Váci Dr. Beer Miklós and several MKPK members, as well as bishops Mirko Stefkovics from Nagybecskerek and Jenő Schönberger from Szatmár from across the border. The Holy Mass was attended by the mayor of Matkovich, Ilona Vác.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Vác, which was recently completely renovated inside and dedicated on October 6, was once again full of celebrants who came to the thanksgiving mass that was held on the occasion of the 50th priestly jubilee of Dr. Lajos Varga, vice bishop of Vác. Clergy and monks of the Diocese of Váci, the faithful from his previous places of service, including Pásztó, members of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, of which Lajos Varga is a member, as well as members his family and academic colleagues, celebrated with the welcoming senior minister.
At the beginning of the mass, Vác County Bishop Zsolt Marton welcomed the supporting bishop. He first recalled his personal memories, when they came into contact during seminary training and then as parish priests, stressing that as a young priest they learned a lot from him about the history of the church and art of the church, and that during parish visits, Lajos. Varga always thought it was important to tell the communities about his life. The bishop of the diocese praised the pastoral and academic career of Lajos Varga and thanked him for the service the auxiliary bishop provided in the diocese, but especially in the last 5 years – since Zsolt Consecrate Marton as bishop.
After that, the bride apostle Michael W. Banach read the message of Pope Francis in Latin, in which he congratulated him for the pastoral work, which the main minister of the Golden Mass had been until diligently and steadily for a long time, and he thanked him. for the spiritual, heart and spiritual gifts he received and used well to preach the truth of the Gospel and served God as a faithful witness of the hope of Christ. Michael W. Banach also expressed his sincere and brotherly wishes to the happy bishop in his own name.
Dr. Lajos Varga thanked for the blessings, welcomed the guests and those present, highlighted those who came from further afield and also mentioned those who work on the preparation of the holiday and are still working at the ceremony, which is why they cannot be present. personally.
In his speech, Dr. Péter Erdő on old age and the priestly vocation, and then he praised the life journey of the prime minister of the Golden Mass.
Péter Erdő pointed out that the Bible mentions several values of antiquity. In the age before writing, human memory was the main mediator of community knowledge, so it was important to listen to and take into account the opinions of the elderly, whose life experience could help to assessment of situations. Citing Saint Ambrose, the senior minister also pointed out that in old age a person must also face death very much, “but it is good if we see the end of our earthly life in the light of trust in Christ “.
On the Christian mission of the clergy, II. Referring to the Vatican Council, he said that there was “a sacred sharing of the priestly, teaching and pastoral duties of Jesus. The whole Church follows this great mission, but the followers of the apostles are especially in the part of the grace that is necessary for this, and the duty that accompanies it. The presentation of the Holy Mass is the moving moment that makes us recognize our own action as a priestly mission.”
The minister then praised the service of priest Lajos Varga, who was ordained as a priest in Vác in 1974, when he worked with many youth and family communities, and built a church and community center in Pásztó. He confirmed that he was the bishop’s secretary and office director in the church administration for ten years, in addition to his educational and scientific activities.
“Throughout his work, he was faithful to the pastoral work, to the sciences related to religion and the Church. His name is on permanent works in the field of church history. We thank Bishop Lajos for his work, his priestly life, for the excellent harmony in which he can combine the sense of historical continuity and the lively pastoral service”, added Cardinal Péter Erdő end of his holiness, asking for God’s blessing on the jubilant bishop.
After that, the Mass continued with the liturgy of the Eucharist. At the end of the ceremony, Dr. Lajos Varga thanked him for being able to celebrate together, he expressed his best wishes to the County Bishop Zsolt Marton and, with these words, asked he God’s blessing for him: “I pray for the old, but in such a way as to create renewal in the Church of God.” At the end of the mass, the joyful supportive bishop gave a golden blessing to the com -partners
The musical service was provided by the trumpeters Rudolf Kecskés and Tamás Végh, the percussionist B. Nagy Tünde, the organists Anasztárik Bednarik and Ágoston Gedai, and the Premontrei Schola led by Domonkos Farkas. Saint Cecilia and the Vác Cathedral Youth Choir sang. Colonel László Varga is the main director of the OMCE.
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Lajos Varga was born in Budapest in 1950, and was ordained a priest in Vác on June 23, 1974.
He completed his higher education at the Archbishop’s College of Religious Studies in Eger, and received a doctorate in theology from the Academy of Religious Studies in Budapest in 1979. Between 1996 and 1997, he studied at the Faculty of History of Church at the Gregorian University as a scholarship scholar at the Hungarian Papal Institute.
Between 1974 and 1985 he was a chaplain in the main parish of Dunakeszi, the main parish of Újpest, Hatvan Újváros and Vác-alóváros.
Between 1985 and 1993, he was the bishop’s secretary in Vác together with Justinian Serédi’s disciple, Archbishop József Bánk, and then until 1995 he was the office director of the Bishop’s Office in Vác.
Between 1990-1991 he was parish governor of Kisnémedi, then between 1995-2006 parish priest in Pásztón and parish deacon. He was parish governor in Mátraszőlős, (1995), Mátraverebény (1995-1996), Kisbágy (2002-2003), Jobbágyi (2004-2006), Kosd (2006-2015).
Between 2001-2005, he was the director of the Holiday and Spiritual Training House of the Catholic Church of Stella in Mátraszentimré.
Between 2006 and 2020, the parish priest of Vác-alsóváros, the director of the church of St. Kereszt, Vác-Hétkapolna.
Bishop’s Counselor from 1987, until he was ordained as a bishop c. Abbot Tereske, papal chaplain since 1993.
In 2006, XVI. Pope Benedict appointed him bishop sicca veneria and auxiliary bishop of Vác, on 15 July 2006 he was consecrated bishop in Vác, since 1 September 2006 he has been vicar general of the bishopric of Vác.
His episcopal motto: SPECULATOR SEMPER IN ALTO STAT – The guard always stands at a prominent place.
Confratern of the Piarist Order, member of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and since 1999 coordinator of the Vác area of officers of the order.
Professional and scientific activities:
Between 1978 and 1995, he was the librarian and chief librarian of the Váci Diocese Library, then head of the Váci Diocesan and Chapter Library and Archives, and between 1992 and 1994 he was the director of the Collection of Finance and Cathedral Diocese. Since 2004, he has been the chief executive of these institutions.
From 1992, he was the chairman of the Church History Committee in the Diocese of Váci, from 1992-1996 he was an archive and library specialist at the National Catholic Collection Center, and from 2006 he was its director. He is the author and co-author of several church history publications.
Educational activities:
Between 1992-1994, he was a teacher of religious studies and liturgy at the Cantor Training School in Vác, and between 1993-1995, he was the director of the correspondence department of the University of Eger for Religious Studies in Vác and a teacher at Ars. Sacrament. Between 2005 and 2006, he taught at the same place and was also a liturgy teacher at Colaiste Apor Vilmos Kat.
Recognitions and awards:
Honorary citizen of the counties of Vác, Pásztó and Nógrád. In 2008, he was awarded the Ignác Tragor Memorial Medal, in 2009 the Church Cross of the Order of Valor, and in 2011 the Grand Cross of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus. In 2017, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit.
Source: vaciegyhazmegye.hu
Picture: Pictures: Tamás Thaler
